Georgina Campbell
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Freshly made breakfasts, salads, sandwiches, soups and hot specials are a winning formula in this Galway café, which has two branches, in Tuam and here in Headford. Owner-manager Damien Cosgrove opened the first Leaf and Bean in Tuam (see entry) in 2016 and then a decade later, in spring 2026, the Headford premises opened and soon proved as popular as the original for its great all day food and funky atmosphere.
With easy access and ample space, the main street venue is a good choice for local meet-ups and lunches. There’s a warm, friendly vibe as you walk in off the street and, with the same owls wallpaper as Tuam but new art, it feels like a sister, not a twin. It’s a large, airy space, with big window at the front, comfortable chairs and sturdy tables and the informal setting and contemporary décor work well.
As in Tuam, friendly well trained staff are sure to make a good impression and the menu mirrors the original with an emphasis on healthy, fresh ingredients (organic where possible) which provide the foundation for their famously flavoursome soups, sandwiches, salads and specials. Owner Damien Cosgrove is a strong advocate of supporting local producers including Galway Goat Farm cheese, eggs from Galway Free Range and organic leaves and vegetables from Savage Garden & Fuinseog Farm. All meats are Irish and he tries to source organic wherever possible, including the meats supplied by local butchers and Andarl Farm in Co Mayo. There’s locally roasted Blue Moon coffee from The Coffee Company in Headford and Solaris teas are popular too, as are the Galway kombuchas. A Tuam micro-bakery provides the irresistible sweet treats, but the brown bread and scones are made in-house and the proof is in the tasting when it comes to their overall ‘from scratch’ policy.
As in Tuam, the excellent breakfast offering is very popular and the Shakshuka and Leaf and Bean Classic Breakfast are bestsellers. Generous, perfectly cooked and with a pleasing combination of ingredients, dishes like Breakfast Flatbread (Andarl Farm bacon, fried eggs, avocado, organic leaves, Sriracha mayo, served on fresh flatbread) are sure to appeal and many would go back for the superb in-house Granola alone. Care taken with good quality ingredients, simply cooked and with bags of flavour is the rule here and it shows.
The kids menu is to be specially commended for not bowing to the pressure to serve chicken nuggets and chips. Instead they do apple slices with peanut butter, good sausages with their own bread and wraps.
All round Leaf and Bean has proved solid addition to the town’s main street and they also offer take away and outside catering, which can be ordered quickly and easily on their informative website.
